El Cuervo

I'm not deliberately contrary.
Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel Review

Ne Obliviscaris – Citadel Review

By El Cuervo on November 3, 2014 in 2014, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 62 comments

“The Seasons of Mist promo team must have collectively flipped their titties when the Sydney Conservatorium of Music announced they were to use Ne Obliviscaris’s “And Plague Flowers The Kaleido” on their teaching syllabus. In a world of increasingly simple and commercial music, nothing screams musical credibility more than appreciation from a prestigious classical school. Mutual respect and musical coalition of the ‘complex’ and ‘respectable’ genres of classical, jazz and metal are commonly used by bands and fans for self-validation and in intellectual dick-waving contests.” El Cuervo braves the dick wavery and boards the hype train like Phallus in Wonderland.

Burn The Army – The Tide to Sink the Summit EP Review

Burn The Army – The Tide to Sink the Summit EP Review

By El Cuervo on October 17, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Metalcore, Post-metal, Reviews, Mathcore, Metalcore, 10 comments

“Citing likenesses to Isis, Converge and Tool, Indianapolis’s Burn The Army drew me with its promo blurb promising technical and progressive post-metal. Someone notify The Official Metal Categorisation Agency™ because it’s taken twenty years, but technical and progressive post-metal has officially been redefined! Unfortunately, what you’ll find on The Tide to Sink the Summit, their first EP, is fantastically average metalcore.” Once there was a time when Steel Druhm had to review all the metalcore. Now, we have people who do that for him.

My Brother The Wind – Once There Was A Time When Time And Space Were One Review

My Brother The Wind – Once There Was A Time When Time And Space Were One Review

By El Cuervo on October 13, 2014 in 2014, 4.0, Free Electric Sound, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Swedish Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock, 7 comments

“Harmony pervades Once There Was A Time When Time And Space Were One. Not in the strictly musical sense, but in its idyllic unity between typically opposed characteristics. Time and space, old and new, science and nature. Sweden’s My Brother The Wind returns on this, their third record, to peacefully entrance and impart their wholly-improvised instrumental Space Rock on the rushed and pressured masses.” God knows we all need a break from the pressures of modern life!

Alunah – Awakening The Forest Review

Alunah – Awakening The Forest Review

By El Cuervo on September 26, 2014 in 2014, Doom Metal, English Metal, Napalm Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, 13 comments

“There was a huge weight on Alunah’s shoulders at the advent of their career. Hailing from Birmingham, the illustrious home to heavy metal, it would have been all to easy to fly under the radar. Fortunately, their début captivated doomsters with its crushing riffs and entrancing female vocals, and the follow-up White Hoarhound miraculously eluded the sophomore slump by boldly expanding their sound to epic levels and progressing their song-writing prowess. Now, Awakening The Forest has arrived and blows them out of the water.” The year of quality doom keeps a rolling!

Skyscraper – Elevation Review

Skyscraper – Elevation Review

By El Cuervo on September 20, 2014 in 2014, Cock Rock, Ghost Dancer Records, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Hard Rock, 1 comment

“I want to begin this review of Skyscraper’s début, Elevation, with a game of complete the lyrics, from sixth track “Walk Through Fire.” “I walk through fire…” (a) “while in ferocious combat with the dragon sent by the Elven armies,” (b) “in order to emulate the fiery depths of Hell for my unification with Lucifer,” or (c) “for you.” Done? If you chose (a) or (b) then I regret to inform you that neither option is correct, but if you liked either, I would suggest that this record may not align with your usual musical preferences (and that you should book an appointment with your local shrink and/or exorcist).” Well, I flunked that pop quiz bigtime. I hate pop quizzes.

Stryvigor – Forgotten by Ages Review

Stryvigor – Forgotten by Ages Review

By El Cuervo on September 5, 2014 in 2014, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Reviews, Svarga Music, Ukrainian Metal, Black Metal, 3 comments

“For a Ukrainian black metal band writing in their native tongue, deriving their name and lyrical themes from distant mountains and rivers of which I’m unaware, Stryvigor is remarkably accessible. Forgotten by Ages, their debut album, is atmospheric black metal laced with memorable riffs, clearly influenced by fellow compatriots such as Drudkh and Khors. It’s like being set upon by distant mountain wolves while the stars twinkle overhead. Though its accessibility undercuts its kvlt black metal origins, there is no denying these Ukrainians charmed me with this ode to their native Carpathian mountains, brimming with beautiful synths and hooky guitar lines.” Who doesn’t love some good Ukrainian black metal about mountains and wolves?

Empire Auriga – Ascending the Solarthrone Review

Empire Auriga – Ascending the Solarthrone Review

By El Cuervo on August 5, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Moribund Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 4 comments

“A curious thing occurred while listening to Ascending the Solarthrone for the first time. I was commuting into the city, a monotonous, cramped experience at the best of times, when we were informed by the disturbingly enthusiastic guard that someone had committed suicide on the tracks. I was already noting the record for its depressive and desolate atmosphere, and in that moment, the feeling it produced was quite extraordinary.” Another double secret probationary writer joins the fray as El Cuervo reviews some bleak black metal. It’s getting like a goddamn frat house around the AMG offices!